Managing an economy is not an easy task, especially in context of global imperatives, where
a country that deviates from the global norm is meted with punishment by global capital.
The task is more difficult in a society like ours with conflicting imperatives. To a large
degree, some white South Africans want to cling to privileges derived from the colour of
their skin. On the other hand, most blacks want all manifestations of black disempowerment
to be addressed. These competing imperatives pose critical challenges for building one
nation that belongs to all South Africans. To a large extent, South Africa’s ability to
effectively address these imperatives will be dependent on the ability of the ruling party,
the African National Congress (ANC), to maintain its cohesion and unity. If the ANC was to
break up, and its alliance with the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of
South African Trade Union (COSATU) was to disintegrate, it would compromise South Africa’s
transformation efforts. This will in turn have negative consequences for the African
continent’s development project.